About

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program designs and develops information resources to help understand the social and spatial context of education in the United States. It uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau鈥檚 American Community Survey to create custom indicators of social, economic, and housing conditions for school-age children and their parents. It also uses spatial data collected by NCES and the Census Bureau to create geographic locale indicators, school point locations, school district boundaries, and other types of data to support spatial analysis." /> <meta name="keyword" content="Locale,school district demographic system,ACS-ED,population data,district demographics,School district boundaries,geocode,School locations,EDGE,Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates,Census,NCES,IES,Institute of Education Sciences,National Center for Education Statistics,Open Data,SIDE,CWIFT,ZCTA,Geographic Relationship Files,GRFs,Zip Code tabulation areas,Neighborhood Poverty,Comparable Wage Index for Teachers,American Community Survey,ACS-ED Dashboard" /> <title>About</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/programs/edge/Content/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.min.css"> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat:400,700" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="/programs/edge/Content/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="/programs/edge/Content/EDGE_2.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://nces.ed.gov/js/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css">  <script> (function (w, d, s, l, i) { w[l] = w[l] || []; w[l].push({ 'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' }); var f = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j = d.createElement(s), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? '&l=' + l : ''; j.async = true; j.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=' + i + dl; f.parentNode.insertBefore(j, f); })(window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-N5LN7CH');</script>  <script src="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/js/jquery-3.6.0.js"></script> <script src="/programs/edge/Scripts/modernizr-2.6.2.js"></script> <script src="https://nces.ed.gov/js/bootstrap/js/bootstrap.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function () { $("a.anchor").click(function (event) { event.preventDefault(); $("html, body").animate({ scrollTop: $($(this).attr("href")).offset().top }, 500); }); }); </script> </head> <body>  <header> <div class="headContents"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_32px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="128x128" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_128px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="152x152" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_152px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="167x167" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_167px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="180x180" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_180px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="192x192" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_192px.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="196x196" href="//nces.ed.gov/images/favicons/IESfavicon_196px.png"> <link href='//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <link href="//nces.ed.gov/css/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="//nces.ed.gov/css/IES_Core_0004.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="//nces.ed.gov/css/IES_Mobile_0004.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-KLQ8LQNJ'); </script> </div>   <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-KLQ8LQNJ" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/customevents.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/jquery-3.5.1.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var $$i = jQuery.noConflict(true); //]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/hfsNav.js?v=02"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/nav_0005.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/importBlogPosts.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/main.js"></script> <div class="nces"> <a id="top"></a> <div style="display:none"><a href="#content" title="Skip Navigation">Skip Navigation</a></div> <div class="header_container"> <div class="header"> <div class="clearfix header_nav"> <div class="bc"> <a href="//ies.ed.gov">IES</a> <span class="carrot"> <img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/iesNewDots.png" alt=" " /> </span> <a href="/" class="top_nav"> <div class="l ctr">NCES</div> <span class="long_name">National Center for<br /> Education Statistics</span> <div class="l menuIcon"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/menuIcon.png" alt="Menu" /></div> </a> </div> <div class="clearfix main_nav"> <div class="clearfix ies_cnav nces_nav_c"> <ul class="sub_cats"> <li class="sub_c_nav"> <a href="/surveys">Surveys & Programs</a> <ul> <li> <a href="/annuals/">Annual Reports</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/programs/coe/" title="Condition of Education">Condition of Education</a> <a href="/programs/digest/" title="Digest of Education Statistics">Digest of Education Statistics</a> <a href="/programs/pes/" title="Projections of Education Statistics">Projections of Education Statistics</a> <a href="/surveys/annualreports/topical-studies/summary/">Topical Studies</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=4">National Assessments</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/nationsreportcard" title="National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)">National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)</a> <a href="/surveys/piaac/current_results.asp" title="Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)">Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/international/" title="International">International Assessments</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/surveys/international/" title="International Activities Program (IAP)">International Activities Program (IAP)</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=3">Early Childhood</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/ecls/" title="Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)">Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)</a> <a href="/nhes/" title="National Household Education Survey (NHES)">National Household Education Survey (NHES)</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=1">Elementary/ Secondary</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/ccd/" title="Common Core of Data (CCD)">Common Core of Data (CCD)</a> <a href="/surveys/slsp/" title="Secondary Longitudinal Studies Program">Secondary Longitudinal Studies Program</a> <a href="/programs/edge/" title="Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE)">Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE)</a> <a href="/surveys/ntps/" title="National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)">National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)</a> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=1" title="more Elementary/Secondary">more...</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=5" title="Library">Library</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/surveys/libraries/" title="Library Statistics Program">Library Statistics Program</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=2" title="Postsecondary">Postsecondary</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/surveys/b&b/" title="Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B)">Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B)</a> <a href="/surveys/ctes/" title="Career/Technical Education Statistics (CTES)">Career/Technical Education Statistics (CTES)</a> <a href="/ipeds/" title="Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)">Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)</a> <a href="/surveys/npsas/" title="National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)">National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)</a> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=2" title="more Postsecondary">more...</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=8" title="Data Systems, Use, & Privacy">Data Systems, Use, & Privacy</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/programs/ceds/" title="Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)">Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)</a> <a href="/forum/" title="National Forum on Education Statistics">National Forum on Education Statistics</a> <a href="/programs/SLDS/" title="Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant Program - (SLDS)">Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant Program - (SLDS)</a> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=8" title="more Data Systems, Use, & Privacy">more...</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=7" title="Resources">Resources</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/training/datauser/" title="Distance Learning Dataset Training">Distance Learning Dataset Training</a> <a href="/npec/" title="National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC)">National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC)</a> <a href="/statprog/" title="Statistical Standards Program">Statistical Standards Program</a> <a href="/surveys/SurveyGroups.asp?group=7" title="more Resources">more...</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="sub_c_nav"> <a href="/datatools">Data & Tools</a> <ul>  <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=1">Downloads Microdata/Raw Data</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/ipeds/use-the-data/delta-cost-project-finance-data" title="Delta Cost Project">Delta Cost Project</a> <a href="/ipeds/datacenter/" title="IPEDS Data Center">IPEDS Data Center</a> <a href="/pubsearch/licenses.asp" title="How to apply for Restricted Use License">How to apply for Restricted Use License</a> <a href="/datalab/onlinecodebook/" title="Online Codebook">Online Codebook</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=2">Online Analysis</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/programs/edge/Demographic/ACS" title="ACS-ED Tables">ACS-ED Tables</a> <a href="/datalab/" title="Data Lab">Data Lab</a> <a href="/ccd/elsi/" title="Elementary Secondary Information System">Elementary Secondary Information System</a> <a href="/surveys/international/ide/" title="International Data Explorer">International Data Explorer</a> <a href="/ipeds/datacenter/" title="IPEDS Data Center">IPEDS Data Center</a> <a href="/nationsreportcard/naepdata/" title="NAEP Data Explorer">NAEP Data Explorer</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=3">School and College Search</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/programs/edge/acsdashboard" title="ACS Dashboard">ACS Dashboard</a> <a href="/collegenavigator/" title="College Navigator">College Navigator</a> <a href="/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/" title="Private Schools">Private Schools</a> <a href="/ccd/districtsearch/" title="Public School Districts">Public School Districts</a> <a href="/ccd/schoolsearch/" title="CCD School Search">Public Schools</a> <a href="/globallocator/" title="Search for Schools and Colleges">Search for Schools and Colleges</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=4">Comparison Tools</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/" title="NAEP State Profiles">NAEP State Profiles (nationsreportcard.gov)</a> <a href="/edfin/search/search_intro.asp" title="Public School District Finance Peer Search">Public School District Finance Peer Search</a> <a href="/edfin/index.asp" title="Education Finance Statistics Center">Education Finance Statistics Center</a> <a href="/ipeds/datacenter/" title="IPEDS Data Center">IPEDS Data Center</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=5">Questionnaire Tools</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/" title="NAEP Question Tool">NAEP Question Tool</a> <a href="/NAAL/sample_items.asp" title="NAAL Questions Tool">NAAL Questions Tool</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=6">Geographic Tools</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/programs/edge/acsdashboard" title="ACS-ED Dashboard">ACS-ED Dashboard</a> <a href="/programs/maped/ACSMaps" title="ACS-ED Maps">ACS-ED Maps</a> <a href="/programs/maped/LocaleLookup" title="Locale Lookup">Locale Lookup</a> <a href="/programs/maped" title="MapEd">MapEd</a> <a href="/programs/mapED/SafeMap" title="SAFEMap">SAFEMap</a> <a href="/ccd/schoolmap" title="School and District Navigator">School and District Navigator</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/datatools/index.asp?DataToolSectionID=7">Other Tools</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/bibliography/" title="Bibliography">Bibliography</a> <a href="//datainventory.ed.gov" title="Bibliography">ED Data Inventory</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/fastfacts/" class="nces_facts">Fast Facts</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption1#faqFFOption1" title="Assessments">Assessments</a> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption2#faqFFOption2" title="Early Childhood">Early Childhood</a> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption3#faqFFOption3" title="Elementary and Secondary">Elementary and Secondary</a> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption4#faqFFOption4" title="Postsecondary and Beyond">Postsecondary and Beyond</a> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption5#faqFFOption5" title="Resources">Resources</a> <a href="/fastfacts/index.asp?faq=FFOption6#faqFFOption6" title="Special Topics">Special Topics</a> </li> </ul> </li>  <li> <a href="/whatsnew/" class="nces_news">News & Events</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/blogs/nces/" title="NCES Blog">NCES Blog</a> <a href="/whatsnew/" title="What's New at NCES">What's New at NCES</a> <a href="//ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?cid=2" title="Conferences/Training">Conferences/Training</a> <a href="//ies.ed.gov/newsflash/#nces" title="NewsFlash">NewsFlash</a> <a href="/whatsnew/Solicitations.asp" title="Funding Opportunities">Funding Opportunities</a> <a href="/whatsnew/NCESNews.asp" title="Press Releases">Press Releases</a> <a href="/whatsnew/statchat/index.asp" title="StatChat">StatChat</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href="/pubsearch/">Publications & Products</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/pubsearch/" title="Search Publications and Products">Search Publications and Products</a> <a href="/annuals/" title="Publications">Annual Reports</a> <a href="/pubsearch/licenses.asp" title="Restricted-use Data Licenses">Restricted-use Data Licenses</a> <br /> <a href="/pubsearch/index.asp?searchcat2=pubslast90&HasSearched=1" title="Recent Publications">Recent Publications</a> <a href="/pubsearch/Subindx.asp" title="By Subject Index A-Z">By Subject Index A-Z</a> <a href="/pubsearch/surveylist.asp" title="By Survey & Program Areas">By Survey & Program Areas</a> <a href="/pubsearch/index.asp?searchcat2=pubslast6month&HasSearched=1" title="Data Products Last 6 Months">Data Products Last 6 Months</a> </li>  </ul> </li> <li> <a href="#" class="nces_about">About Us</a> <ul class="clearfix"> <li class="left_col"> <a href="/about/" title="About NCES">About NCES</a> <a href="/whatsnew/commissioner/index.asp" title="Commissioner">Commissioner</a> <a href="/help/webmail/" title="Contact NCES">Contact NCES</a> <a href="/staff/stafflist.asp" title="Staff">Staff</a> <a href="/help" title="Help">Help</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <div class="common_main_nav"> <div class="common_links"> <a href="/help/webmail/">Contact</a><br /> <a href="/datatools/">Tools</a><br /> <a href="https://www.ed.gov/">ED.gov</a><br /> <a href="//ies.ed.gov/newsflash/#nces">Newsflash</a> </div> <div class="social_links"> <a href="/blogs/nces/">NCES Blog</a><br /> <a href="https://x.com/EdNCES"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/xNav.png" alt="Twitter logo" /></a> <a href="https://x.com/EdNCES">X</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdNCES/"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/facebookNav.png" alt="Facebook logo" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdNCES/">Facebook</a> </div> <div class="social_links"> <a href="/nceskids/" class="kidszone"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/NCESkidszone.gif" alt="KidsZone logo" /></a> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="site_search"> <a href="#" class="mob_search"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/searchIcon.png" alt="Search NCES" /></a> <form onsubmit="return hfsIsSearchValid(this);" method="get" action="/search/search_redirect.asp" name="HeaderSearch"> <label for="HFSSearchBox" class="sr-only">Search box</label><input type="text" id="HFSSearchBox" name="Search" placeholder="Search" aria-label="Search"><input type="hidden" name="website" value="NCES"><input type="submit" value="Go" class="submitBtn search-link" aria-label="Submit search" /> </form> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </header>  <div class="MainContent container-fluid"> <div style="display: none;">The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program designs and develops information resources to help understand the social and spatial context of education in the United States. It uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau鈥檚 American Community Survey to create custom indicators of social, economic, and housing conditions for school-age children and their parents. It also uses spatial data collected by NCES and the Census Bureau to create geographic locale indicators, school point locations, school district boundaries, and other types of data to support spatial analysis.</div> <div class="row edgeHdr"> <div class=" col-md-6"> <a href="/programs/edge/Home" style="color: #575757 !important; text-decoration: none !important;"> <img src="/programs/edge/images/edgeIcon2.png" style="width: 56px; height: 56px;" alt="Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) icon" /> <div style="padding-top: 15px;">Education Demographic and<br />Geographic Estimates</div> </a> </div> <div class="col-md-6 text-right" style="margin-top: 30px; text-transform: capitalize !important; font-size: .8em;"><a href="/programs/maped" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="fa fa-chevron-circle-right"></span> Visit mapED</a></div> </div>  <div class="edgeM container"> <nav class="navbar"> <div class="container-fluid">  <div class="navbar-header"> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#bs-example-navbar-collapse-1" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> </button> </div>  <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="bs-example-navbar-collapse-1"> <ul class="nav navbar-nav"> <li><a href="/programs/edge/Home" role="button">Home</a></li> </ul> <ul class="nav navbar-nav"> <li class="dropdown1"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-hover="dropdown" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Demographic Data</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu mega-dropdown-menu"> <li class="col-md-12"> <a href="/programs/edge/Demographic/ACS">Children, Parents, School Districts - ACS-ED</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Demographic/Census">Decennial Census - 1990, 2000, 2010</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="nav navbar-nav"> <li class="dropdown1"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-hover="dropdown" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Geographic Data</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu mega-dropdown-menu"> <li class="col-md-12"> <a href="/programs/edge/Geographic/DistrictBoundaries">School District Boundaries</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations">School Geocodes</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries">Locales</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Geographic/RelationshipFiles">Geographic Relationship Files</a> <a href="/programs/edge/SABS">Attendance Boundaries</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Geographic/ZCTAAssignments">ZCTA Locales</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="nav navbar-nav"> <li class="dropdown1"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-hover="dropdown" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Economic Data</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu mega-dropdown-menu"> <li class="col-md-12"> <a href="/programs/edge/Economic/NeighborhoodPoverty">Neighborhood Poverty</a> <a href="/programs/edge/Economic/TeacherWage">Comparable Wage Index for Teachers (CWIFT)</a> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="nav navbar-nav"> <li class="dropdown1"> <a href="/programs/edge/About" class="dropdown-toggle" data-hover="dropdown" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">About</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu mega-dropdown-menu" style="width: auto !important;"> <li class="col-md-4"> <a href="/programs/edge/About#a">What is EDGE?</a> <a href="/programs/edge/About#b">Why are demographic,<br />geographic, and economic<br />data important?</a> <a href="/programs/edge/About#c">What is educational geography?</a> <a href="/programs/edge/About#f">What is NCES鈥檚 strategy<br />for geospatial data?</a> <a href="/programs/edge/About#d">Staff Contact</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div> <h1>About</h1> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-3" style="position:relative;"> <ul class="aboutMenu"> <li><a href="/programs/edge/About#a">What is EDGE?</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/edge/About#b">Why are demographic,<br />geographic, and economic<br />data important?</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/edge/About#c">What is educational<br />geography?</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/edge/About#f">What is NCES鈥檚 strategy<br />for geospatial data?</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/edge/About#d">Staff Contact</a></li> </ul> </div> <a name="a"></a> <div class="col-md-9" style="margin-left: 25%;"> <a id="a" class="anchor"></a> <h2>What is EDGE?</h2> <p>The NCES <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/docs/EDGE_Overview.pdf">Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE)</a> program designs and develops data resources to help understand the social and spatial context of education in the United States. EDGE uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau鈥檚 American Community Survey to create custom indicators of social, economic, and housing conditions for school-age children and their parents. EDGE also uses spatial data collected by NCES and the Census Bureau to create geographic locale classifications, school geocodes, school district boundaries, and other types of data to support spatial analysis. As the primary collector and distributor of geospatial data within the U.S. Department of Education, the EDGE program also provides geospatial data required for policymaking and statutory purposes and works to ensure the Department鈥檚 compliance with the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. </p> <a id="b" class="anchor"></a> <h2>Why are demographic, geographic, and economic data important?</h2> <p>The population of school-age children in the United States is remarkably diverse, and differences in demographic and economic conditions are often associated with differences in educational opportunities and outcomes. For this reason, it is important to understand potential socioeconomic differences when comparing educational conditions across students, schools, and school districts. Elementary and secondary education in the United States is primarily managed at the local level, and the socioeconomic conditions of local communities may be quite different from average conditions for the entire United States. Therefore, in addition to employing nationally representative surveys, NCES uses two primary programs to measure conditions at the local level. The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) provides information about school and school district administrative and fiscal characteristics, while the NCES EDGE program provides information about school and school district demographic, economic, geographic, and housing characteristics.</p> <a id="c"></a> <h2>What is educational geography?</h2> <p>The field of educational geography considers how location, space, and place influence the inputs, administration, and outcomes of education. It also attends to features like school locations, school district boundaries, school attendance zones, and other types of geographies used to organize and operate school systems. Geography has always played an important role in public access to education in the United States. The General Land Ordinance of 1785, expanded by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, required territories that wanted to become states to set aside the 16th section of every new township for the support of public education. Additional sections were added to later states until the total acreage reserved as education land grants was about the size of Colorado. Geography continues to play an important role in the way school systems are organized and the ways children and parents experience education. Demographic and economic conditions are equally important, but these characteristics often vary by location. As a result, educational geography begins by asking Where, and then considers Who, What, Why, and How. As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and technologies have evolved and become more widely accessible over the past two decades, research on the geospatial aspects of educational policy has grown substantially. As of February 2024, EDGE data resources have been used in over 400 peer-reviewed research articles.</p> <a id="f"></a> <h2>What is NCES鈥檚 strategy for geospatial data?</h2> <p>The EDGE Program focuses on four primary principles to guide <a href="/programs/edge/docs/NCES_Geospatial_Data_Strategy.pdf">geospatial activities</a>:</p> <ol> <li>Develop, update, and maintain core data sources needed to support statutory programs and general analysis.</li> <li>Make data available in common formats and through easily accessible locations.</li> <li>Apply geospatial data and geoprocessing methods to create new data solutions.</li> <li>Develop and provide supplemental resources to explore and understand the data.</li> </ol> <a id="d"></a> <h2>Staff Contact</h2> <p>For questions regarding EDGE data, please send an email to <a href="mailto:edge@ed.gov">EDGE@ed.gov</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer> </div> <div class="footer_container nces"> <div class="footer"> <div class="clearfix footer_top"> <div class="bc clearfix"> <div class="logo_container"> <a href="//ies.ed.gov/" class="ies_nav">IES</a> <span class="carrot"> <img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/icons/iesNewDots.png" alt=" " /> </span> <a href="/" class="nces_nav"> <div class="l">NCES</div> <span class="long_name">National Center for<br /> Education Statistics</span> </a> </div> </div> <div class="social"> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">Join Newsflash</div> <a href="//ies.ed.gov/newsflash/#nces" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/newspaper.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/newspaper.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/newspaper-nces.svg" alt="Join Newsflash" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">NCES Blog</div> <a href="/blogs/nces/" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/pen-square.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/pen-square.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/pen-square-nces.svg" alt="NCES Blog" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">EdNCES X</div> <a href="//x.com/EdNCES" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/x-logo.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/x-logo.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/x-logo-nces.svg" alt="EdNCES Twitter" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">EdNCES Facebook</div> <a href="//www.facebook.com/EdNCES/" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/facebook-square.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/facebook-square.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/facebook-square-nces.svg" alt="EdNCES Facebook" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">EdNCES LinkedIn</div> <a href="//www.linkedin.com/company/ednces/" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/linkedin.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/linkedin.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/linkedin-nces.svg" alt="EdNCES LinkedIn" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> <div class="social-link"> <div class="tooltip">EdNCES YouTube</div> <a href="//www.youtube.com/c/EdNCES/featured" target="_blank"><img src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/youtube.svg" data-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/youtube.svg" data-over-src="//nces.ed.gov/images/hfs/youtube-nces.svg" alt="EdNCES YouTube" onmouseover="ies_social(event)" onmouseout="ies_social(event)"></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix footer_nav"> <div class="clearfix left_s"> <span class="section">Explore the Institute of Education Sciences</span> <div class="left_s"> <ul> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/" class="center_title">IES</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/aboutus/">About</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/pubsearch/">Publications</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/data.asp">Data</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/funding/">Funding</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/events.asp">News</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="right_s"> <ul> <li><span class="center_title">IES Centers</span></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/ncee/">NCEE</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/ncer/">NCER</a></li> <li><a href="/">NCES</a> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="/surveys/">Programs</a></li> <li><a href="/pubsearch/">Publications</a></li> <li><a href="/datatools/">Data</a></li> <li><a href="/training/datauser/">Data Training</a></li> <li><a href="/globallocator/">School Search</a></li> <li><a href="/whatsnew/">News</a></li> <li><a href="/nceskids/">Kids' Zone</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/ncser/">NCSER</a></li> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix right_s"> <div class="left_s"> <ul> <li><span class="section">IES Policies and Standards</span></li> <li><a href="//datainventory.ed.gov">ED Data Inventory</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/aboutus/diversity.asp">IES Diversity Statement</a></li> <li><a href="/statprog/2012/">NCES Statistical Standards</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/director/sro/">Peer Review Process</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/help/privacy.asp">Privacy and Security Policies</a></li> <li><a href="//ies.ed.gov/funding/researchaccess.asp">Public Access Policy</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li> </li> <li><a href="/help/webmail/" class="section">Contact Us</a></li> <li> </li> <li><a href="http://www.ed.gov/"><strong>U.S. Department of Education</strong></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="right_s"> <ul> <li><span class="section">Additional Resources</span></li> <li><a href="//eric.ed.gov/">ERIC</a></li> <li><a href="/help/sitemap.asp">Sitemap</a></li> <li><a href="/about/?sec=orgchart">Organizational Chart</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script id="_fed_an_ua_tag" language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="//nces.ed.gov/js/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?pga4=55622235&agency=ED&subagency=NCES&exts=sps,sas,do,dct"></script> </footer> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function () { $(".dropdown1").hover( function () { $('.dropdown-menu', this).not('.in .dropdown-menu').stop(true, true).slideDown("400"); $(this).toggleClass('open'); }, function () { $('.dropdown-menu', this).not('.in .dropdown-menu').stop(true, true).slideUp("400"); $(this).toggleClass('open'); } ); var hidWidth; var scrollBarWidths = 40; var widthOfList = function () { var itemsWidth = 0; $('.list li').each(function () { var itemWidth = $(this).outerWidth(); itemsWidth += itemWidth; }); return itemsWidth; }; var widthOfHidden = function () { return (($('.wrapper').outerWidth()) - widthOfList() - getLeftPosi()) - scrollBarWidths; }; var getLeftPosi = function () { return $('.list').position().left; }; var reAdjust = function () { if (($('.wrapper').outerWidth()) < widthOfList()) { $('.scroller-right').show(); } else { $('.scroller-right').hide(); } if (getLeftPosi() < 0) { $('.scroller-left').show(); } else { $('.item').animate({ left: "-=" + getLeftPosi() + "px" }, 'slow'); $('.scroller-left').hide(); } } reAdjust(); $(window).on('resize', function (e) { reAdjust(); }); $('.scroller-right').click(function () { $('.scroller-left').fadeIn('slow'); $('.scroller-right').fadeOut('slow'); $('.list').animate({ left: "+=" + widthOfHidden() + "px" }, 'slow', function () { }); }); $('.scroller-left').click(function () { $('.scroller-right').fadeIn('slow'); $('.scroller-left').fadeOut('slow'); $('.list').animate({ left: "-=" + getLeftPosi() + "px" }, 'slow', function () { }); }); }); </script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

About